We started noticing leads coming in recently, probably just in the last 6 months, asking about using social media as individual salespeople. We messed up big time by not listening to Subi Ghosh last year when she said we should extend our services to include that very option. At this point, we still aren't certain that we can do it since our efforts are really geared around a dealership's website, but just because we don't have a solution doesn't mean we can't point salespeople in the right direction.
The sad part is that I held a training session at an east coast dealer group back in 2011 that was specifically about this. We talked about how the standard principles of networking taught for decades by people like Joe Verde could be applied today to social media. Out of 50+ salespeople I trained, there were only 4 or 5 who we could verify were using the techniques three months later. They were selling, yes, but I wasn't happy with the adoption rate so I never tried to look at it again. Whether it was a shortcoming in the way I presented it or if it was just not at the tipping point at the time, I'll never know, but I am ready to embrace that the industry may very well be ready for it again.
One thing is for certain: it won't be me doing it. That's the point of this thread. Renee, Ryan, Kathi - I know them all and I would prefer to point to a specialist rather than to try to do it myself. Not my niche. With that said, pointing people in the right direction is definitely something we like to do.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work at great dealerships that take care of salespeople have probably been taught the concept that selling cars isn't a profession. It's a business. The best salespeople are forming their own business within the confines of a dealership structure. Social media, personal branded websites, and other techniques that the experts here utilize allow for a salesperson to build a low-overhead personal business with someone else paying for the merchandise and venue. I am becoming a believer that it's low-overhead, not zero-overhead, for those who want to be truly successful. That's why I want to know who has what out there and where I can point people.
Thanks for the time, friends. I'm hopeful that the specialists will contact me soon to tell me what they're doing for salespeople. We have people asking and I want to give them answers.
